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  1. Join Date
    May 2009
    Posts
    1,990
    #1
    Hello!

    recently purchased 555 ball joints(MB176308 & 309) for my pickup. kyb shocks on the way plus bushings to be purchased on the day of the DIY.

    As per my understanding, all suspension bolts must be torqued to specs with the car loaded, i.e. with the wheels installed and on the ground. Because if you torque all bolts (again from my understanding) prior to loading the suspension will reset the torque specs to zero.

    Got some questions for some motorheads and mechanics in this forum:
    1. How do your really torque the bolts especially the bolts joining the ball joints to the control arms, upper arms shaft-to-arm bolts, upper arm shaft-to-frame bolts and the balljoint-to-spindle bolts given the very little space???...my tools are not that good in contortions as well as the user. They say use your common sense but i really want to be specific on this.

    2. Do the upper control arm bushing need to be flared or not?

    TIA

  2. Join Date
    Jul 2003
    Posts
    573
    #2
    I think you will have to be concerned mainly with control arms or arms that have rubber bushings moulded or vulcanized on them. The bolts will have to be tightened/torqued with weight of the car on the wheels.
    The ball joints, connecting rod joints have locating tapered pins to seat properly and need not be torqued very tight. they have cotter pins to keep the nuts from loosening out.

  3. Join Date
    Jan 2009
    Posts
    5,576
    #3
    Ideally, you do it using a car lift that has the tires bearing the car's weight. That should give you all the room you need to work underneath the car. It may be a bit unorthodoxed but you can try paying for rent to use a car lift at a nearby gas station.


  4. Join Date
    May 2009
    Posts
    1,990
    #4
    Quote Originally Posted by oj88 View Post
    Ideally, you do it using a car lift that has the tires bearing the car's weight. That should give you all the room you need to work underneath the car. It may be a bit unorthodoxed but you can try paying for rent to use a car lift at a nearby gas station.

    aha!....got an idea....since i have access to lots of wood around my place, i plan to put the truck on top of DIY wood platforms....

  5. Join Date
    Jan 2009
    Posts
    5,576
    #5
    Quote Originally Posted by miked View Post
    aha!....got an idea....since i have access to lots of wood around my place, i plan to put the truck on top of DIY wood platforms....
    That's one way to do it. Be careful though. Always safety first!

  6. Join Date
    Feb 2009
    Posts
    5,130
    #6
    the thought of torquing the suspension parts while the weight of the car is imposed upon the tires is a myth. i have been to a couple of assembly plants and they install suspension and steering components and torque to specs while the car is on a jig without tires on them. it sure is cumbersome and almost if not impossible to tighten the components with the tires are installed let alone the tires supporting all the sprung weight. it sure would take a lot of time to do if at all possible and at the assembly plant, as with any shop, time is a very precious commodity.

  7. Join Date
    Jul 2003
    Posts
    573
    #7
    when you say the car or frame is in a jig, does it mean the suspension are all hanging and not laden by the car weight at all?
    How about at the final assembly stage, waht do they do there normally?
    Well unless the molded rubber on suspension bushings can adjust to the center of suspension play, I believe that will be ok.
    But when you mention about the Jig, it could be the jig have been calibrated to properly position the suspension arms before
    the suspension is fitted with coil or leaf springs.

  8. Join Date
    Feb 2009
    Posts
    5,130
    #8
    Quote Originally Posted by tip_tipid View Post
    when you say the car or frame is in a jig, does it mean the suspension are all hanging and not laden by the car weight at all?
    How about at the final assembly stage, waht do they do there normally?
    Well unless the molded rubber on suspension bushings can adjust to the center of suspension play, I believe that will be ok.
    But when you mention about the Jig, it could be the jig have been calibrated to properly position the suspension arms before
    the suspension is fitted with coil or leaf springs.
    that's correct! as far as what i have seen and as far as repair procedures both factory repair manuals, alldata and michell's repair manuals, all of them that i have worked on does not indicate the suspension components are torqued when all the sprung weight is loaded to the tires. the only thing i know, from the textbooks written by james halderman, is when the suspension joints are rubber filled (not ball and socket) and that when you install them, the steering knuckles will have to be positioned straight ahead.

  9. Join Date
    May 2009
    Posts
    1,990
    #9
    Therefore it is advisable to torque the bolts with the car frame supported (ex. control arms hanging) and the tires off, right?

    for this application, it's a 1986 mitsu mighty max pickup. beam type lower control arm (strut/brake reaction rod in front). coil spring in between control arms. bolted lower BJ, press fit upper BJ.

    i tried fitting my torque wrench on the upper shaft arm bolts and the other suspension bolts...i just can't have the space for maneouvering. the way i see it, the tires must be taken out.

  10. Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Posts
    4,726
    #10
    higpitan mo ng tanggal ang gulong.. kalokohan yan nakakabit ang gulong tapos nakababa pa kasi hindi mo talaga maabot yan...lalo na yung upper suspension.. isa pa pag mabigat na yung sasakyan baka hindi na mag adjust yung bolts kasi naka tuon na yung bigat ng sasakyan.. the best nyan pag higpit mo kabit mo gulong tapos gamitin mo mga 1000 kms tapos check mo ulet re-tighten mo ulet yung bolts.

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Torquing Suspension Bolts